............"My lord, if you want to help Ms. Bella, then I would suggest asking Phia Lumara. From what I've seen, this girl has a very bright future in the fashion field, so partnering up with the Lumara family might give her the chance to finally showcase her talent in the bigger world!" Astrid whispered her suggestion, noticing his troubled look."Oh, good idea!" Aarav's eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing Astrid's suggestion, and he nodded in agreement."Brother, can you drop me off here? I still have things to do in my office," Bella called out, bringing the car to a stop as she decided to disembark.After the heavy lunch, Aarav decided to drop her off.So, Astrid, Aarav, and Bella left the Ocean's Flame Grill & BBQ shop."Oh, alright. Hey, Bella! Take this," Aarav rummaged in his pocket and retrieved a piece of paper, quickly jotting down his address. "When you have time, come to my home. I have a friend who might be able to help, and please don't hesitate about it. Okay
............In the quiet street, where only one or two people were passing by, Aarav heard distinctive footsteps following him from behind."Yup, my guess was right," Aarav muttered under his breath as he pretended to look around for people around him before standing in position as if he was about to take a leak."Baammmn...!" Suddenly, he felt a large hand gripping chopping his neck."Motherfu....!" Aarav half curse hung in air as he stumbled backward, his body half-falling into the bushes.The man who had neck-chopped him saw that their target was down, and he addressed the others in a low tone."Hurry up, put him under the cover and lift him into the van, quick... quick...!" Two men sprang into action, swiftly covering Aarav's body with a large cloth before pretending to take out the trash from the area, their movements quick and efficient.Another two men stood guard, scanning the surroundings for any witnesses, their eyes darting back and forth in vigilance.A black van suddenl
............A few moments later,"Ahhhh...Argh...!"The room echoed with the pained cries of the thugs, their bodies scattered across the floor, each one writhing in agony."Now then, are you going to talk peacefully or do I need to beat some more sense into your thick skull!" Aarav's voice was calm yet laced with an underlying threat as he remained seated in the chair. Meanwhile, Brother Joe lay sprawled beneath him, his face swollen and his clothes torn, blood trickling from his hands and legs."Ahhh...plea...please...n..no..no...more!" Brother Joe's pleas were desperate, his grip on Aarav's leg tight as he begged for mercy. Tears streaked down his swollen face, and snot threatened to drip onto Aarav's legs before he forcefully kicked him away."Ahhh...!" Brother Joe cried out as he stumbled backward, pain shooting through his injured body."Tell me, who was the one that instigated you all!" Aarav's tone remained steady, but his eyes burned with a chilling intensity that made Br
............"Huh, Aeliana Chauhan... Do I know this person?" Aarav furrowed his brows, trying to recall if he had heard the name before, but his memory failed him."No, I don't think so," Astrid shook her head, her uncertainty evident, as she hadn't been with her Lord long enough to know everyone he did."Alright, let's leave too. The cops seem to have taken all the thugs," Aarav shrugged, casting a final glance out the window before motioning for Astrid to leave the scene with him.At the same time in the Blackthorn Family, "What's happening? Why can't I get through to them... what on earth are they up to, damn it..." Lorei paced her bedroom, frustration boiling inside her as she tried and failed to reach her men. She needed to know what had happened with the task she'd given them. The thought of hearing the miserable cries of the man who dared to humiliate her in public gnawed at her."Fucking useless shits! Why can't I reach them? What the hell are they doing?" she muttered ang
............"Don't worry, Our Lord will understand and surely agree with us. Alright, let's finish here; I can smell the sweet aroma coming from the kitchen!" Phia joined in the embrace, wrapping her arms around both Aria and Astrid.As she spoke in a gentle tone, Phia caught the scent of food wafting from the kitchen, urging the two to finish their bath."Hey, dinner is ready," Aarav called out, as he came out from the kitchen carrying the delicious meal as he carefully arranged the plates on the table."Yes, we're coming right away!" Phia's voice chimed in eagerly, followed by the sound of quick footsteps as the three of them hurried down from Aria's bedroom, excitement evident in their movements.Before they settled into their chairs, Astrid paused to inhale deeply, closing her eyes for a moment as she savored the tantalizing aroma drifting from the dishes."Sniff...Sniff, how wonderful. I can never have enough of this heavenly aroma!" She couldn't help but express her delight wi
............"Hey, it's alright, it wasn't a big deal. I can treat it without any trouble," Aarav reassured Phia, his voice steady and comforting, calming her nerves."Ohh, as expected of our Lord!" Phia's eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at him, a sense of relief washing over her.Eina resumed cleaning, her movements more relaxed now that she knew their Lord could handle the situation with ease."Right, you said that the Devouring Plague didn't belong to this continent. Then where did it come from? What is the origin of such a creature?" Aarav's curiosity was evident as he sought answers."Hmmm, it's from the Wildlands of the Sylvanus continent," Astrid said, revealing the place of origin for the Devouring Plague."Huh, from that Wildland Continent? But how did this cheap copy get into our city?" Aarav's brows furrowed in confusion, his mind grappling with the mystery of its arrival.As he pondered, he knew, there had been no interaction between the two continents for dec
............"Kekeke...! We have all night to experiment with our new subjects!" The first hooded figure joined in with a sinister laugh, his voice dripping with anticipation as they embraced their twisted plans."Once we're done with this village, we can move on to the next one. Those idiots from the Crystal Healing Organization will be busy dealing with this chaos for a while, Bwahahaha!" The second figure chuckled loudly, his words echoing eerily in the quiet night."You do realize that our actions tonight will be seen as declaring war on the Realm of Elandor, and those fools from the Crystal Healing Organization will be after us," the first figure reminded, cautious of the inevitable repercussions of their deeds."What, are you getting cold feet because of those weak-ass healers?" the second figure sneered, provoking his companion."Hell no! Why would I be scared of those useless idiots? I just want to make sure you understand what we're getting into, and more importantly, I want
............"Gahhhh...!""You little troublemaker, where did you learn to tease your Brother-in-law like that?" Aarav playfully chided Bella, lightly tapping her head, which made her tear up and crouch down, holding her head with an angry expression."Pttttt...hahaha!" Phia and Astrid couldn't help but laugh at Bella's teasing and Aarav's reaction.Bella, feeling a mix of amusement and embarrassment, looked up at Aarav with mock indignation before joining in the laughter."My stomach...haha...you got me there, Sister!" Phia managed to say between laughs, holding her stomach as she took deep breaths to calm down. She extended her hand to help Bella stand up."Ahhh, yes. Nice to meet you, Big Sister!" Bella nodded, wiping away her tears as she shook Phia's hand."She's Phia Lumara and Phia, this is my Sister-in-law, Bella Rossi!" Aarav introduced them, gesturing between the two."Hello, Sister Bella, can I call you that?" Astrid also extended her hand with a friendly smile."And she i